Title: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals in mosquito coil and coil ash: are the concentrations alarming?

Authors: Deepanjan Majumdar; Nilam Maske; Neel Kamal

Addresses: Kolkata Zonal Laboratory, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, I-8, Sector C, EKDP, EM Bypass, Kolkata-700107, India ' Air Pollution Control Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur-440020, India ' Air Pollution Control Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur-440020, India

Abstract: Unmanaged mosquito coil ash could be regarded as a possible source of metal and PAHs contamination in households but such risk is generally overlooked. To address this issue, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals were estimated in the bottom ash of a few popular mosquito coils marketed in India. The detected concentration range of individual PAHs in coil ash samples was 8 (benz(a)anthracene and acenapthylene) to 2925 ng g⁻¹ ash (phenanthrene) while metal concentration ranged from 0.3 (As) to 28,366 µg g⁻¹ ash (Fe). Metal concentration ranged from 0.1 (Cd) to 3193.0 (Fe) µg g⁻¹ in the unburnt coils. There was substantial magnification in metal concentration in coil ash over coil. The study indicated that mosquito coil ash could be an important source of metal and PAH contamination in households and hence should be carefully managed.

Keywords: combustion; health risks; indoor pollution; air pollution; repellent; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; PAH; metals; mosquito coils; coil ash; pollutant concentrations; benz(a)anthracene; acenapthylene; phenanthrene; environmental pollution; metal contamination.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2017.082698

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2017 Vol.61 No.1, pp.46 - 63

Accepted: 12 Aug 2016
Published online: 07 Mar 2017 *

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